I would have thought her house would have been much bigger and she could not be bothered greeting us peasants....

Not far from where I live there is an "Elizabethan Village" which contains a replica of Anne Hathway's cottage. I went inside it decades ago. It's surprising how small it was and how low the ceilings were but people were shorter back in those days I believe.

I went on a school day trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon and went into various buildings including Anne Hathaway's cottage. At about thirteen or fourteen I was too young to really appreciate such buildings so it was a bit wasted on me. We went to the theatre there too, the seats were so far back that we saw very little, I can't even remember the name of the play that we saw but it was more than fifty years ago.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!

No photos myself, but loving all the pictures! I went to Stafford Upon Avon twice - once when the weather wasn't all that good, and once when we were in the middle of a heatwave (ten years ago, needless to say ) We called to see William Shakespeare twice, and he wasn't in!

_________________________ My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.

Once upon a time there was a railway line which went from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace. It ended in the 50s and is now a walkway, here are the old tunnels to Highgate station overground, which still has the entire station intact but not open to the public. They tried to redevelop the line in the 80s but the residents managed to keep it as it was as it provides a strip of (albeit artificial) countryside through the suburbs

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"The climate system is a coupled non-linear chaotic system, and therefore the long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible."

I was able to stay with friends in Blackburn too and even though it was mostly cold and wet there (typical summer) we did manage to get out a few times. Wandering through Billinge Wood at the Witton Forest Park.

Do squirrels there colonize? That would be weird. Weirder still is that you'd think a tree rat would need that much square footage. I would guess a large bird. Perhaps a great horned owl?

Squirrels build quite large nests. Our neighbour had one nesting in her loft and it was amazing how much room it decided it needed. The nest was a good two feet across and about a foot high. She had to get someone to come and trap and remove it as she was worried it would chew electric cables or something like that.

It was taken in Essex yes, about 12 miles inland from Southend. We do have one (or more) sparrowhawks round here, I've taken photos of one in the garden quite often. Could be their nest, or a crow, we have a flock of very big crows, but they tend to nest together, you get lots of their nests in one place. I shall keep an eye on it and see if I can spot what is coming and going in the Spring.

Many thanks to all who post photos - I really enjoy your wonderful photos and feel as if I've been to many places around the world through your eyes. I hope that later in the spring one of you in England will post a photo of the bluebell woods. They're a favorite memory of mine when growing up over there. ~ Joy

Many thanks to all who post photos - I really enjoy your wonderful photos and feel as if I've been to many places around the world through your eyes. I hope that later in the spring one of you in England will post a photo of the bluebell woods. They're a favorite memory of mine when growing up over there. ~ Joy

I love them too, Joy and will photograph and post some as soon as they appear.

The view from my front door earlier this morning. It is still snowing and there is a lot more to come in the next 24 hours.

This is all very inconvenient as I had a hospital dental appointment this afternoon and it has been cancelled. I have toothache and that is very dangerous for me but I cannot get to the hospital today and most likely not tomorrow either.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!